


A Whisper of a Ghost

by Failing_Physics



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Other, You've been warned, i wanted to get this out before season 2 airs, its set when they are kids, there is violence but i wouldn't say its graphic, you have no idea how satisfying 1220 words exactly is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25472935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Failing_Physics/pseuds/Failing_Physics
Summary: Klaus was shaking. Admittedly he’d been shaking for the better part of the past three hours, but he would’ve thought that after drinking solidly for at least one of those hours, the trembling would have stopped. But no. His mind kept dragging him back to the mission, wondering how it could’ve gone so badly wrong, wondering if he could’ve prevented Ben’s death somehow.------------------After Ben died Klaus didn't know what to do with himself - until his brother appears before him. The only thing is that none of his other siblings believe him.
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	A Whisper of a Ghost

Klaus was shaking. Admittedly he’d been shaking for the better part of the past three hours, but he would’ve thought that after drinking solidly for at least one of those hours, the trembling would have stopped. But no. His mind kept dragging him back to the mission, wondering how it could’ve gone so badly wrong, wondering if he could’ve prevented Ben’s death  _ somehow _ . Klaus shook his head and flipped over on the bed, burying his face in the pillow as if to smother the memories that flooded his mind regardless. 

_ The museum was almost free of hostages, but the armed robbers were still swarming the halls, each armed to the teeth with guns and knives and god knows what else. Already Klaus had almost had his head taken off by a stray bullet and Diego had received a nasty scalp wound that kept dripping blood into his eyes. But the siblings had split up to deal with the overwhelming number of robbers a good fifteen minutes ago and Klaus hadn’t seen them since.  _

_ Although there’d been yells and the unmistakable sound of gunfire somewhere in the museum, Klaus hadn’t yet run into anybody - anybody living that was. The ghost of some long dead sailor who was haunting his exhibit had appeared in the corner of Klaus’ vision and his incessant whispering was really getting on the boy’s nerves.  _

_ “Klaus, Klaus, Klaus, Klaus…”  _

_ Klaus screwed up his eyes and tried,  _ once again,  _ to ignore the spirit. _

_ “Klaus, Klaus, Klaus-” _

_ “Shut up!” Klaus yelled and then abruptly bit his tongue, suddenly realising just how loud he had just been. Sure enough, the echo of many footsteps rushed towards the hallway he was in and Klaus swore, ducking into a side room. The ghost followed.  _

_ Gunshots echoed from somewhere about him and Klaus flinched as a shower of dust and plaster rained from the ceiling a split second before Ben quite literally fell from the sky. Klaus dived out the way as tentacles exploded out of Ben’s torso and clung to the walls, slowing his fall.  _

_ “Just dropping in,” Ben panted as his feet touched the floor. _

_ Klaus just stared at the jagged hole in the ceiling, “Original.” _

_ Ben opened his mouth, and probably said something snarky in return, but Klaus was too busy listening to the  _ thump, thump, thump  _ of the footsteps growing closer.  _ Oh,  _ he thought,  _ here comes the consequences of my actions.  _   
_ _ Ben sucked in another jagged breath and released another few yards of tentacle. Klaus stared at him, suddenly concerned. _

_ “You good?” _

_ “No.”  _

_ The door burst open with the deafening sounds of gunfire and Ben’s tentacles erupted into frenzied motion. Crimson blood started to rain down, but before Klaus could so much as blink the five robbers who had burst in were lying dead on the floor. But something was wrong - Ben’s tentacles were still thrashing, seemingly at random now and Klaus had to duck and twist to avoid being brained.  _

_ “Ben!”  _

_ “Klaus I-” Ben yelled back before arching his back and giving an agony-filled shriek. _

_ “Ben!” Klaus screamed again and tried to run forward, making it all of three steps before being slapped across the temple by a tentacle. His vision flashed black, then blue, then white and when Klaus came to, he was sprawled across the floor. He tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness sent him staggering back down.  _

_ He could only watch in muted horror as, one by one, the tentacles turned on Ben and tore him apart. _

_ Klaus started shaking.  _

Klaus pressed his fists against his eyes. His  _ father  _ didn’t care that Klaus had to be literally dragged out of that room. He didn’t care that every single one of his children had been silently weeping on the ride back to the Umbrella Academy. He didn’t care that there wasn’t even enough of Ben’s body to be collected for a funeral. 

No, Reginald had merely tutted and silently sent the children to their rooms. Which was where Klaus was huddled now, fishing out his emergency supply of vodka from under his wardrobe. 

“Klaus…?”

The quiet voice made Klaus jump out of his skin and he turned, spilling half his bottle on the duvet. And his eyes widened in shock. Ben - that was Ben standing there. Ben - in the corner of his room, just gazing at him. It was so absurd that Klaus actually laughed. For a second Klaus thought that Ben was one of the many ghosts that haunted him, before dismissing that idea. He was way too pissed for any spirit to have a hope of manifesting right now. 

And besides, it was  _ Ben  _ standing there. Ben, who slept in Klaus’ room during thunderstorms. Ben, who actually put thought into birthday presents. Ben, who secretly fed the birds outside of his window after dinner. There was no way he could be a  _ ghost.  _ Oblivious to Ben’s miserable expression, Klaus gave him one huge grin and sprang out of his room, stumbling a little as he did so. 

“Ben’s back,” he yelled to the dark house, feeling giddy in his euphoria. There was a commotion as several bodies scrambled out of bed and snapped their lights on. Five was the first to open his door, poking his head around the doorway with an unreadable expression. Klaus rushed to him, grabbing his shoulders and grinning from ear to ear.

“Ben’s alive! He’s in my room! He’s-” 

Five took a second to take in the vodka bottle in Klaus’ hand and the way he had staggered over before pushing him back in sudden anger. “You’re drunk, Klaus. Stop making this harder for the rest of us.” With that the boy slammed his door shut. Klaus stumbled back a little and turned to see the rest of his siblings standing behind him with expressions like granite. Klaus felt his mood plummet almost as quick as it came on. Allison was the first to turn away and shut her door behind her so hard the frame rattled. 

“It’s true,” Klaus whispered, pointing to his open door where Ben was still standing, “he’s right there. Are you guys blind?” A pleading note had entered his voice. 

Luther stepped forward and shoved Klaus’ arm roughly. Klaus saw his eyes were red from crying. “You really have to make everything about yourself, don’t you.” 

Klaus swallowed painfully as Luther too slammed his door. Vanya’s gaze was more sympathetic than angry, but she slipped into her room quietly. Klaus took half a step towards Diego.

“Diego, please, I-”

“Go to bed Klaus,” Diego muttered in a hoarse voice before shutting his door behind him as well.

Klaus met eyes with Ben who was still watching and walked over, tried to take his brother’s hand in his own and winced as it passed right through with a cold tingle. 

“So,” he whispered, clutching his vodka bottle tighter, “you really are dead then.”

If it was possible, Ben’s voice was even softer. “Yes.” 

Klaus made to reach for Ben’s shoulder like he would’ve done when he was alive, but stopped himself at the last minute and collapsed down on the bed, furiously wiping tears from his eyes. 

“I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other then Ben.” 

Ben gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Klaus didn’t blame him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always comments make my day <3


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